1UP had the chance to play the newest Street Fighter title and sheds some …

Share this story

Getting excited about Street Fighter IV is kind of a pesky thing. The game doesn't even have an estimated release date, and there hasn't been much of a hint about which consoles it will appear on after the arcade version is released. For all we know, we're years away from actually playing the game. Still, the 2D play and return of classic characters in this reimagining of the series (it takes place between Street Fighter II and III) is enough to get any fan looking forward to the game. It's never too early for hype! 1UP was able to actually play the title, and their thoughts on the play are worth reading.

While the game in its current state is incredibly fast, that seems to be only for testing purposes; no one knows what speed the game will ship at, or if it will be configurable. The biggest change is the Revenge and Saving systems, which allow players to load up on super-attacks by landing punches and kicks and then unleashing huge combos to turn the tide of battle.

Example: Player One uses up one slice of the Revenge gauge by launching into a Saving strike but then halfway through the attack animation interrupts the move by dashing forward slightly, to cancel. Using another portion of Revenge gauge Player One further confuses his opponent by letting loose with an EX fireball, with a quarter-circle forward plus a medium and strong attack. Cancel that attack as well, as your opponent weeps loudly and attempts to dodge what he views as a fireball wind-up by backflipping in the air. Whip out the classic 'Z' formation with your joystick and the two strongest punch buttons to wreck his world with an EX Dragon Punch. Cost: One Revenge gauge bar. With one section of Revenge left, feel free to interrupt your foe's landing with an EX fireball, which will almost surely K.O. him at this point. This was also designed to ensure that no player, even one with a sizeable advantage in health, should ever feel safe, so long as their opponent has a full Revenge gauge at his disposal.

This more offensive-oriented style of play may anger some who will miss the parries of the later Street Fighter titles, it seems even in this early form the new EX and cancel systems will make for some very intriguing high-level play for the gamers who take the time to master the ins and outs of battle. Of course, with a fighting game this complex, there are bound to be game-breaking exploits and tricks that will be found when players get their hands on their joysticks at the arcade, but that will happen far in the future. Right now it's enough to know that the game is coming along nicely, and there will be many, many new things to learn and master in the Street Fighter world.